Press Release:
Braunschweig - Aerodata AG is pleased to announce the start of the project to equip the Armed Forces of Malta with another King Air maritime patrol aircraft. This represents a further milestone in the ongoing standardisation of the Armed Forces of Malta's fleet. The new aircraft will expand the existing King Air fleet of three aircraft to meet growing operational requirements and to further enhance security in the central Mediterranean region. It will primarily support border control operations, maritime surveillance, law enforcement, as well as search and rescue missions in this region.
Following the delivery of the existing fleet between 2011 and 2017, Aerodata AG is once again acting as the prime contractor in this project, converting a King Air into a maritime patrol aircraft. At the Braunschweig site, cutting-edge sensor technology and a performance-enhanced radar will be integrated with the latest generation of Aerodata's mission management system AeroMission®. This state-of-the-art mission system features advanced, AI-supported, automatic vessel detection and classification. Intelligent data fusion and sophisticated sensor technology enable vessels to be detected and classified in real time. Aerodata is developing the AI functions used for this purpose in collaboration with Data Machine Intelligence (DMI). Both companies had previously presented a prototype of their joint solution for the first time at the Paris Air Show 2025 within only two months of signing an MoU. They have been working continuously on its implementation and aim for an extraordinarily short deployment time from the prototype of under 12 months.
Another component of the contract is the interface integration with Aerodata's new multi-domain information management system, Prometheon. The system was introduced by the Armed Forces in December 2025 and provides comprehensive, mission-specific situational picture by integrating sensor data from various platforms, as well as command and control systems. Overall, the new system architecture significantly improves operational performance, reduces operator workload and enables rapid decision-making in complex reconnaissance missions.
“We are honored that the Armed Forces of Malta have once again placed their trust in us. This contract highlights the strength of our integrated system approach, in which mission systems, AI-supported evaluation, and ground infrastructure are seamlessly integrated,” says Neset Tükenmez, CEO of Aerodata AG. “This creates a comprehensive and scalable solution that significantly increases the operational value for the Maltese Armed Forces.”
Delivery of the new King Air maritime patrol aircraft is scheduled for the end of 2027.
